Eleanor's Letter
by NCISgirl1527
Summary: Mary finds something in her desk that causes her to take another look at her relationship with Marshall. Could a friend's advice be enough to make her see what's been right in front of her? Mary/Marshall


**Okay so I was bored and started thinking that the only person who would ever dare to look Mary in the face and tell her Marshall loved her was Eleanor…who had left. So I decided to play around with that concept and this is what happened…I hope you enjoy it.**

_**Disclaimer: I do not own In Plain Sight or the characters.**_

_**Spoilers: Don't Cry for Me Albuquerque **_

"Damn it," Mary muttered under her breath, "I know I put those forms in here somewhere." She hated paperwork, but unfortunately there was a lot of it in her job. So she and Marshall had made a sort of tradition of coming in every Thursday morning and working though their piles together. Of course her pile was always much bigger than Marshall's, and he usually ended up doing at least half of it for her…

Finally losing all patience with her slow methodical search, Mary pulled out the desk drawer and dumped the contents onto the floor. Pens, pencils, and erasers crashed to the floor along with several folders full of paper. Triumphantly Mary reached over to pick up the correct folder but found herself distracted by something else.

Slowly she picked up a white envelope from the top of the pile and looked at it. The only marking on the outside of the envelope was her name printed neatly on the front. She stared at the handwriting for a moment. It was familiar, but she could not quite place it. Unfazed she flipped in envelope over and opened the flap, which had not been licked closed.

Inside were a few sheets of folded paper, which she quickly unfolded. They were sheets of stationary with the letters E. M. P. stamped across the top, and Mary suddenly realized who the hand writing belonged to: Eleanor. Except Eleanor had left nearly two years ago so how did a letter from her get in Mary's desk…unless it had been there all the time. Sure enough on closer inspection she saw that the date in the top right corner was from a few weeks after her shooting.

Intrigued at as to why Eleanor would bother to leave a letter in her desk, Mary began to read.

_Mary,_

_ First of all I would like to tell you that I am very glad you have recovered (as you clearly have if you are back at work). I am equally pleased to report that I have been offered a job on the other side of the country. I think that will make us both happier given that we will probably not see each other again. Anyway that brings me to my second point._

_ In the single year I worked with you and Stan and Marshall I learned a lot about you, but I would still never claim to understand you. However one thing I do understand is that you have a very special relationship with your partner. It takes a very special man to see though all the sarcasm, disdain, and anger, and take the time to break though that wall you have that guards your heart and the scared and vulnerable little girl you still shelter somewhere deep inside. (Don't bother to deny it. This is a letter. You can't argue with it.)_

_ He knows you better than I think you know yourself sometimes, and whether you want to admit or not you need him in your life, and, though he will never admit it either, he needs you just as much. You two make the best partners I have ever seen, and you have a closer relationship that many married couples I know. You are best friends…and that leads me to the reason I am writing this letter in the first place, which is to say something that neither Stan nor Marshall, especially not Marshall, would ever dare to tell you, and yet needs so desperately to be said._

_Your partner, United States Marshal Marshall Mann, is in love with you._

Mary nearly choked on the bite of pie she had just eaten. She double-checked the letter to make sure she had read the line correctly. However there was no mistaking the words written in Eleanor's neat cursive script. She glanced over at her partner who was working away at his desk, completely oblivious to the startling truth that had just been dumped on her head. Slowly she returned her eyes to the rest of the letter.

_Now that you are done staring at your partner as if he will spontaneously turn around and confirm that statement, you want to know what proof I have, and the answer that everything I have ever seen Marshall say to you or do for you is proof. Think back and try to find a time when he was not their when you needed him or a time you were in jeopardy and he did not do everything in his power to protect you. You will not be able to think of a single time…I guarantee you that. However if you want a piece of concrete proof then I ask you to think back to the speech he made at your engagement party:_

_ "Okay, here's to the best friend I've ever had. I'll ever hope to have. The girl for whom no man will ever be good enough. I hope you know that I love you and I wish for you nothing but a lifetime of happiness."_

_ If that does not say 'I love you' then I don't think anything I am going to say will make any difference. I just thought someone ought to tell you that the feelings you have been hiding from him, for God knows how long, are reciprocated. And before you look too shocked, it was much harder to pick up on your feelings, but I did watch both of you interact for nearly a year. There are some things that are impossible to hide, and that is one of them._

_ So I know that we were never really friends, but I pray you will take this letter as it was written, a helpful note in the hope that there will be two less lonely people in the world. _

_ Sincerely, _

_ Eleanor Margaret Prince _

Slowly Mary looked up, still holding Eleanor's letter tightly in her hand. For several moments, she just watched as Marshall typed away at his keyboard. However after a few minutes he seemed realize that she was watching him and turned to look at her.

"Can I help you with something?" he asked her.

"Yea," she said slowly, clutching the letter in her hand just a little bit tighter, "We need to talk. Are you busy tonight?"

_**So what did you think…I kind of like how it came out…Please review and tell me what you thought.**_


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